


A Christmas Miracle (Or: The Gift That Keeps on Giving)

by stalrua



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, EreriWritingPrompt12, M/M, Mentions of Jeankasa, Mentions of Winmin, Office Gift Exchange, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:11:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalrua/pseuds/stalrua
Summary: Two boxes sit under Eren's Christmas tree. One is a gag gift for a friend, the other a heartfelt present meant to finally win over his boss, Levi.Both are wrapped in the same paper. Neither are labeled.What could possibly go wrong?





	A Christmas Miracle (Or: The Gift That Keeps on Giving)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for EreriWritingPrompt12: Levi's Birthday
> 
> Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals <3

“This is it, Mikasa.  This is the year.”

Mikasa kept her eyes on the computer screen, ignoring Eren hovering in the doorway of her office.  “Go away, I’m busy.”

Benefit packages went out next week, and she had to have the accompanying letter outlining all the changes to their insurance policy submitted by Friday at the latest.  Four days was plenty of time, but she wanted to have it in before Nanaba even thought about bugging her for it.

“Don’t be dramatic.  We both know you’re going to finish that letter tomorrow,” Eren said.  “I don’t know why you spend so much time on it every year anyway.  No one actually reads it.”

Her eyes flicked to Eren over the monitor as she deadpanned, “Thanks.  It’s good to know all my hard work is appreciated.”

“You work in HR.  What do you expect?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe for my own brother to support me.”  Mikasa resumed typing.  “Jean _always_ —”

“No, see, that’s not fair,” Eren cut in, jabbing a finger at her.  “Of course Jean’s _always_ going to do everything right by you.  He spent ten years trying to convince you to give him the time of day, and now that you have, he’s going to spend the next ten proving you were right to do so.”

“You make it sound like I have all the power in our relationship.”

“Don’t you?”

Mikasa threw her stress ball and frowned when Eren managed to catch it before it could hit his head.  She missed the days when he was too slow to dodge.  “Stop it.  He’s just being sweet.”

“Exactly!  And as your boyfriend, that’s the kind of sucking up he has to do.”  Pushing off the door frame, Eren rounded the chairs in front of her desk to sprawl sideways across one.  “He has to love whatever you come up with for work, how your clothes take over most of the closet, the weird way you sweep, your cooking…”

“What’s wrong with my cooking?”

“The point,” Eren stressed, “is that Jean has to work for it, whereas I don’t.  I can give you shit all day if I want because I’m your brother.  You have to love me on principle.”

“Give me shit all day, and I’ll lovingly kick your ass.”  She rifled through the papers on her desk, searching for the updates to the dental packages.  “How’d you even find the time to sneak over here?  Aren’t you guys supposed to be snowed under with that new marketing campaign?”

“I took a coffee break.”

“You don’t drink coffee.”

“Bathroom break, then.  Whatever.  It doesn’t matter.  What Hange doesn’t know won’t hurt them, and Armin agreed to cover our conference call so I could come tell you the good news.”  Eren paused, brows lifted expectantly.  “Come on,” he urged.  “You know you want to ask.”

Mikasa pushed away from the desk and fixed Eren with a blank look.  There was no hope of getting any work done until he was out of her hair.  Best thing to do was hear him out so she could get back to it.  Never mind the fact that a part of her _did_ want to ask.  Kind of.  Just a little.

_It’s the composure_ , she reasoned.  Eren had always been somewhat of an open book, wearing his heart and emotions on his sleeve, but here he was at least trying to act nonchalant, even if he couldn’t fully contain the excited energy that rolled off him in waves.  It was intriguing.

“Okay, fine, but only because I want you to go away,” she grouched, huffing an exaggerated sigh.  “This is the year for what?”

“Ah, I thought you’d never ask.”  Folding his hands behind his head and pushing one foot against the edge of her desk to tip the chair onto its back legs, Eren flashed a smirk.  “This is the year Levi and I are finally getting together.”

“This year?  As in 2018?”  When Eren nodded, she glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall.  “You realize that’s less than a month, right?”

“Yep!”

“Right… does _Levi_ know he’s going to be fucking you by the end of the year?”

“He’ll figure it out soon enough,” Eren said, still grinning.  “Nice addition, by the way.  I meant _getting together_ in a date sort of way, but yours sounds much better.  What makes you think Levi would be doing the fucking, though?  I’ve topped plenty of—”

Mikasa clapped her hands over her ears.  “Oh my god, Eren!”

“—pisses me off when people think bottoming is somehow less masculine.  Haven’t they ever heard of a power bottom?  Nothing wrong with being on the receiving—”

“Seriously, that was _not_ an invitation to discuss the details of your sex life,” she said.  “For the sake of our relationship, there are some things I really don’t need to know.  Like, ever.”

Eren shrugged.  “Switching is a thing, that’s all I’m saying.”

“And all _I’m_ saying is that was way more information than I ever wanted to hear from my brother.  Can we please get back to a less risqué topic now?  Preferably one where all people are fully clothed and not having sex.”

Eren winked but stayed silent, thankfully.  That was a subject she didn’t want to touch on again.

“So you and Levi, huh?”  Leaning back, Mikasa used one foot to spin her chair back and forth.  “And how exactly are you planning to pull off this Christmas miracle?”

“I drew his name for the office gift exchange.  I’m his Secret Santa.”

Mikasa paused mid-turn.  “Yes, because that obviously explains how you’re going to get the boss who’s rejected your attempts at flirting since you started working here to finally ignore ethics and propriety and agree to go on a date with you.  It’s cute that you still dream big.”

“I’m being serious, Mikasa.”

“So am I.  And if you use the excuse that he’s just playing hard to get again, I’m going to throw you out of here myself,” she threatened.  “It’s not a _thrill of the chase_ kind of thing, it’s that he’s not interested.”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Eren said loftily.  “You underestimate the power of the perfect gift.”

Mikasa shook her head, half amused, half exasperated.  “At least you’re confident.”  Persistent, too, but that was a given.  She’d watched Eren pursue Levi long after others would’ve given up, to the point it was almost embarrassing.  That was part of what made him so endearing, though.  And who knew… maybe he was right.  Maybe this was the year he’d wear Levi down.  “What are you getting him?”

Eren lowered his foot, then leaned forward when the chair hit the floor to whisper, “It’s a surprise.”

“Which is code for _I don’t know yet_.” 

“Not this time!  I actually already bought it.”

“You…”  Mikasa blinked several times.  “But we only drew names yesterday.”

“Yeah, and I knew what to get right away.”  Eren crossed his arms and frowned, focus darting to the side.  “Don’t look at me like that.”  His eyes briefly met hers once more before he threw his hands up in exasperation.  “I’ve thought about this for a long time, okay?”

Mikasa snorted.  “Trust me, we all know how much you think about him.”  The problem was getting him to shut up about it.

“Levi’s birthday is on Christmas,” Eren continued.  “I’ve wanted to get him something for a while now but didn’t want it to be weird.  This Secret Santa thing is the perfect excuse to do it.”

Mikasa softened at Eren’s wistful expression.  She’d never understand the attraction – Levi was short, crude, awkward, and from what little she’d overheard, absolutely terrible at jokes – but she loved her brother and wanted nothing more than to see him happy.

“You’ll see, Mikasa.  What I got Levi is so thoughtful it’s going to make him realize I like him as more than just the hot boss I want to bend me over the desk.”

Her smile faded as she rolled her eyes.  “There’s that famous Jaeger eloquence.  So much for being romantic.”  Wiggling the mouse to wake up her computer, she saved and closed all her documents before shutting down.  It was time to head home.  “I know you’ve got that runt on the brain, but don’t forget to pick up a going away present for Marco.  He’s leaving for Brazil on Christmas Eve.”

“Shit, I almost forgot about that.”  Eren ran a hand through his hair.  “I wish he hadn’t gone on a shopping spree after getting that crazy inheritance last year.  What are we supposed to get the guy who already has everything?”

“I bought him a knife block and a set of olive wood spoons since he likes cooking so much—” she ignored the way Eren’s nose wrinkled “—but you obviously don’t have to do that also.  Get him a gag gift.  That’s more up your alley.  You’re not exactly the type to buy housewares at Pier One.”  Mikasa pulled on her coat and grabbed her purse from under her desk.  “Get him an assortment of bug sprays, or some weird sex toys, or a speedo for the beach.  Oh, you could get a wax kit to go with it!  A Brazilian in Brazil.  Get it?”

But Eren wasn’t paying attention anymore.  He trailed her out of the office, offered a perfunctory goodbye, then took off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, lost in thought and rubbing at his chin.

 

* * *

 

Armin added the last of his gifts to the pile in front of the entertainment center, then scooted backwards across the floor to lean against the couch.  He extended his arms above his head, stretching from side to side, wincing when his lower back popped.  A loud _vrrrp_ interrupted the cheesy Christmas movie on TV, and he idly watched Eren rip off a strip of shipping tape to seal the cardboard box before scanning the collection of wrapping paper scattered around them.

After a few seconds of quiet deliberation, Eren reached for a roll with crayon-style reindeer drawings only to pause inches short.  “No…” he mumbled.

Over the years of rooming together, he and Eren had accumulated an absurd amount of wrapping paper.  They had more options than Target.  Navy blue with white trees, silver with repeated holiday greetings, cream with a nativity scene.  There were stripes and polka dots, red plaid and Fair Isle sweater.  They had at least three different Santa Claus patterns, not including one with Snoopy wearing a Santa hat, and countless others sporting ornaments, candy canes, snowflakes, nutcrackers, red birds, and snowmen.

And those were only the Christmas-themed ones.

Almost twenty different papers to choose from, and it still took Eren forever to decide which one to use.  They’d been at it for an hour now, and Eren’s pile of unwrapped gifts was large enough to match Armin’s finished one.

Snagging the remote from the side table, Armin flicked through the channels, doing his best to ignore Eren as he traded a roll of paper with stars for one with dogs wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.  However, when Eren tossed both aside and sat back empty-handed, fingers tapping at his pursed lips, Armin closed his eyes in a bid for patience.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just use some gift bags?” he suggested.

“No way!” Eren exclaimed as if Armin had personally offended him.  “Unwrapping the gift is half the fun.  No one wants to just pull out some tissue paper.”

“Fine, but at this rate, you’ll still be working on them at New Year’s.”

“Yeah, well, not everyone can moonlight as an elf.”

Armin whipped around, mouth falling open.  “The official title is Santa’s Little Helper, _thank you very much_ , and I do a lot more than just wrap presents these days.”

Working at the local toy store during the holidays was a tradition dating back to high school.  Early on, the owner hadn’t trusted him with anything more than restocking inventory, but after a couple seasons of proving he wasn’t a complete idiot, he’d graduated to doing stints in the gift-wrapping line, organizing the kids waiting to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas, and running the cash register.

“Anyway, it’s just a side job, so stop acting all high and mighty,” Armin continued.  “Nothing wrong with earning a little cash on the side, even if I have to dress up like an elf to do it.  It paid for your present.  Which I still have the receipt for, by the way, and can return at any time.  Well, technically within thirty days for a full refund.  After that it’s just store cred—”

“Which one do you think I should use for Zeke’s gift?” Eren interrupted as he held up two rolls of paper.

Santa’s list with _Naughty, So Very Naughty_ checked versus a Santa hat-wearing poop emoji with _Merry Christmas, Asshole_ scrawled in a circle around it.  Armin rolled his eyes.  What a choice.

“I’m going to go with neither,” he said.  “They’re both rude.”

“That’s kind of the point.  This _is_ Zeke we’re talking about.”

“We got these as a joke for Jean.” 

“The paper will outlast us if we only use them on him,” Eren retorted.  “We don’t get him that many gifts.”

“Speak for yourself.  _I’ve_ given him plenty over the years.  _You’re_ the one who doesn’t get him enough.”

“Because he decided he wanted to bang my sister!  I have to loathe him on principle.  Now stop trying to distract me, we’re getting off subject.”  Reaching out, Eren drummed the rolls of paper on Armin’s legs.  “Which one?”

Armin kicked at him.  “Eren, these are not appropriate for family functions!”

“They’re _funny_.  Stop being such a Scrooge.”  Armin crossed his arms resolutely.  At his continued silence, Eren shoved the rolls closer.  “Won’t you help a guy out?  Please, you always know the perfect one to use, everyone talks about how you choose the best wrapping paper for their gifts, I really need your—”

“Ugh, fine!” Armin groaned, batting the paper out of his face.  “And no one says that, stop being stupid.”  He eyed the two rolls.  It wasn’t exactly a secret that Eren and Zeke’s sibling rivalry was… intense, but at least the first option skipped out on the expletives.  If he had to choose, might as well be the lesser of two evils.  “Naughty checklist.”

Eren grinned.  “The asshole one it is!”

With a weary sigh, Armin shook his head.  Why did he even bother?  “Carla’s going to kill you,” he said, but Eren was too focused on wrapping the gift to respond.

Armin watched him position the box, cut the paper to size, fold and tape up the ends, undo the tape, smooth the flaps down more and redo the tape, frown at a loose part near one of the corners and unstick the tape once more, _good lord_ —

“Why don’t I work on some of your other gifts at the same time?” Armin offered.  Anything to wrap this up and move on to more important things like ordering takeout.  He paused, lips curling.  Wrap this up.  Ha.

“Oh, that’s…”  Eren glanced over to the looming pile.  “Yeah, actually, that’d be great.  Thanks, man.  I appreciate it.”

Armin smiled as he stood.  If only Eren realized that letting him help was a gift in and of itself.  Otherwise there was no telling when they’d finish.  He tiptoed through the minefield of wrapping paper and began setting aside various presents, easy ones he could knock out quickly.

“Just not that one!”

One of the boxes was snatched right out of Armin’s hands.  Turning around, he saw that Zeke’s present had been chucked haphazardly onto the couch and the box in question was now tucked snugly between Eren’s legs, his hands resting on top of it.

“Let me guess…”  Armin quirked a brow.  “Levi’s?”

“Yeah,” Eren chuckled.  “I just kind of wanted to do this one myself.”

“Of course you do.”  The box was already taped up, so there was no telling what Eren had gotten him.  Whatever it was, he hoped it would make an impression.  Office gossip was fun and all, but Eren’s moves on Levi were borderline painful to watch.  Armin shrugged, instead picking up another box the same size with a sticky note reading _Marco_ affixed to it.  “Have at it, then.  Who am I to stand in the way of true love?”

“True love,” Eren scoffed.  “Don’t be ridiculous.”  But the dopey grin on his face was somewhat contradictory.  “Who’d you get for the exchange, by the way?  I forgot to ask.”

Armin settled back on the floor beside Marco’s gift and snagged the shipping tape from underneath the coffee table.  Before closing up the box, he decided to check out what Eren bought, see how it compared.  “Oh, uh, Mr. Smith,” he said distractedly, staring at the butt plug he’d just withdrawn.  What the—?

“Fuck, that’s terrible!”

He returned the plug to the box and began rummaging through the other contents.  “Why?  You drew your boss’ name.”  This time he pulled out a sampler pack of flavored lubes.

“But you got the big boss,” Eren said.  Preoccupied with wrapping Levi’s present in the old school brown paper decorated by reindeer in a snowy forest, he hadn’t noticed Armin’s snooping.  “No one wants the pressure of buying for the guy who can hire and fire you.”

Digging past a bondage kit complete with blindfold, ball gag, flogger, and cuffs, Armin found a matching pair of cock rings nestled beside a thick dildo.  “Erwin’s not _that_ bad.”

“Erwin?”

“Yeah, he was surprisingly easy to buy for.”  Armin spun the box so he could see inside better and— oh, a remote-controlled vibrator!  He’d been wanting one of those.  It wasn’t until he’d finished reading the back of the package that he registered the heavy silence.  When he looked up, Eren was regarding him strangely.  “What?”

“You called him Erwin.”

Armin frowned.  “Okay…”

“You called Mr. Smith, CEO of Scout Technologies and head honcho of the entire information technology field, _Erwin_.”

“Yes, I know what I said.  What’s your point?”

Eren waved a hand like it was obvious.  “No one calls him that.  Ever.  More importantly, _you_ would never call him that.  Being on a first name basis with someone like him is reserved for family, close friends, and lovers, none of which you—”  His mouth snapped shut.

Contrary to popular belief, Eren wasn’t nearly as clueless as people liked to make out.  Sure, he’d mixed up the goals during a middle school basketball game and ended up scoring more points for the opposing team than their own.  And said telepathetic instead of telepathic during a presentation to the department heads in college.  And gotten their entire group of friends completely plastered on a winter backpacking trip because he’d sworn up and down that drinking liquor would keep them warm.  But he wasn’t entirely hopeless.

Right then, though, it would’ve been great if he was.

“Oh my god…”  Armin stiffened, already on the defensive as Eren sucked in a sharp breath and all but shouted, “Holy shit!”

Holy shit was right.

“That’s him?” Eren asked, crawling closer.  He hadn’t finished wrapping Levi’s gift, and strips of tape were still stuck to the back of his hand, catching on the random scraps of paper he swept out of the way.  “Mr. Smith is the mystery guy you’ve been seeing?”

Ducking his head to avoid Eren’s gaze, Armin stuffed all the toys back into the box and closed the flaps.  He was _really_ regretting telling Eren he’d started seeing someone now.  If only he’d just kept his big mouth closed.  God, what he wouldn’t give for a diversion.

“Please,” Armin began, sounding far calmer than he felt, but apparently that was confirmation enough because Eren didn’t give him a chance to finish.

“I can’t believe you’re dating our boss!  Everyone’s always giving me shit about Levi.  Meanwhile, here you are flying under the radar with Mr. Smith.  When were you going to tell me?”

Never.

“Soon.  I was shooting for after the holidays,” Armin said.  “I would’ve told you already, but there was never a good time to bring it up.  It’s hard to fit _hey, by the way, I’m fucking Erwin Smith_ into casual conversation.”

Baring his teeth in a grimace, Eren shuddered.  “You can’t call him Erwin.  That’s just weird.  It makes me think of things I’d rather not think about.”

“What, you don’t want to picture me riding his—”

Eren lunged forward and slapped a hand over Armin’s mouth.  Funny how someone so shameless about his own life could be so easily embarrassed by someone else’s.  He’d been the same way after catching Berthold and Reiner making out in the locker room in high school.

The moment drug out, Eren refusing to back down until Armin licked his palm.  “Motorcycle,” Armin finished with a teasing grin.  “I was going to say motorcycle.  He’s got a big one, you know.  A really big, powerful motorcycle.”

“Armin,” Eren said, inhaling deeply.  “Shut up.”  He returned to Levi’s present, shaking his head.  “Let’s just finish wrapping all these in silence.  Actually no, let’s talk about something else.  I don’t want any time to think.”

“Whatever you want.”  The conversation hadn’t gone quite as planned, but at least Eren had given up quickly.  Ideally, he wouldn’t hear about this for some time.  Armin held out a hand for the roll of paper Eren had just used on Levi’s gift.  Marco was an old soul.  He’d like the vintage look of the brown paper.  “So do you think Jean’s going to pop the question on Christmas or New Years?”

“Ugh, hopefully neither.  I’m still hoping Mikasa will change her mind.  Jean can be such a…”

Armin zoned out, letting his friend ramble.  Knowing how Eren felt about Jean, it could go on for a while.  They both tended to get long-winded when griping about each other.  He still nodded and hummed at all the right times, but he was paying more attention to the TV.  _The Santa Clause_ had always been one of his favorite movies.

Before long, Marco’s present was done.  Armin found a pen, but the gift tags they’d been using must have gotten lost somewhere under the mess.  _Oh well_ , he thought as he slid the box under the Christmas tree beside the one for Levi and tucked the pen behind his ear.  Eren could label it later.

 

* * *

 

“I _can’t_ believe it!  I can’t _fucking_ believe it.”  Eren threw his plate of hors d'oeuvres into the nearest trash can in disgust.  “Can you _believe_ this?”

Armin nodded.  “Yes, but I don’t think you can.”

Gritting his teeth, Eren spun on his heel, turning his back on the crowd at the center of the dance floor.  People were still cheering and clapping, so it wasn’t like he could ignore it completely, but at least Armin hadn’t made a big deal out of it.  He could always trust Armin to have his back and not— a quick peek revealed his friend to be smiling as he snapped a picture of the happy couple.

Eren groaned.

_I take it back.  Some friend you are.  No show of solidarity at all._

Jean’s proposal to Mikasa had effectively ruined Eren’s appetite.  Even if he knew it was eventually coming, he still wasn’t prepared for the blow.  Jean would now be at every birthday, holiday, and family get together.  He and Mikasa would have kids.  They were going to be brothers-in-law.  Jesus Christ…

Eren signaled the bartender.  At least he had the gift exchange to look forward to.  The night wasn’t a total bust.

“Don’t look too happy,” Armin said, leaning against the bar beside him.  “It’s not like she’s your only sister or anything.”

“I _am_ happy, it’s just…”  Downing the shot of bourbon, Eren considered the situation.  He talked a lot of smack, but Jean was far from the worst person he’d ever had to deal with.  Not like that Floch guy he’d roomed with for all of one month back in college before they’d requested a reassignment.  At the very least, he could trust him to take care of Mikasa.  She’d never want for anything so long as Jean was around.  “There’s no way out of it, so I guess I should at least try to keep the peace,” Eren conceded with a sigh.  “Someone has to be the bigger man.”

Armin didn’t even act surprised, just sniffed and pretended to wipe away a tear.  “They grow up so fast.”

Eren disguised his chuckle in the act of shoving Armin away from the bar.  “Shut up and get out of here.  I know you want to congratulate them.”

“You’re not coming?” Armin asked.

He wanted to, but theirs was a conversation best left for a more private setting, or at least when there weren’t masses of people around them.  Just in case.  Out on the dance floor, Mikasa was smiling, radiant and on clouds, the kind of happy that was infectious.  He’d be damned if he was the one to ruin it.

“Maybe later.”  It probably wasn’t a good idea to test his newfound sense of magnanimity right out the gate.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Even still… “Hey, Armin,” he called, “you should tell Mikasa that you hitch a horse to a wagon, not yourself.”

“I don’t think that qualifies as keeping the peace.”

Case in point.

Eren shrugged.  “You can’t expect me to quit cold turkey.”

Armin disappeared into the crowd after cutting through a group from the public relations department, and alone at the bar, Eren took a moment to scan the venue.  Scout Technologies didn’t put on parties very often, but when it did, it went all out.

Wood rounds topped with evergreen boughs, pinecones, silver and gold ornaments, winter berries, and white candles served as centerpieces for the tables scattered around the perimeter of the room.  A towering Douglas fir stood beside the main entrance, and from the stage at the opposite end, a four string quartet provided the music.  Overhead, Christmas lights were tucked into the long swaths of organza strung along the exposed wooden beams.  They mirrored the lights wrapped around the tree trunks, up through the branches, and onto the pergola over the terrace outside.

All in all, it made for a nice effect.  The perfect backdrop to finally make his move on Levi.  His big move, rather, since none of his other moves ever made an impact.  Those were amateur attempts, though.  Playful exercises.  This was the big leagues.

Eren walked down the length of the bar, trailing a hand along the polished wood as he went.  He’d already spotted Petra distributing the gifts and needed to find Levi before he opened his.  He wanted to be there to see the surprise on Levi’s face when he saw the gift, when he figured out the identity of his Secret Santa, when he realized just how closely Eren paid attention to every little thing he said and how thoughtful he could—

“What the fuck?”

The familiar voice had Eren stumbling to a halt.  He froze next to the buffet table, turned his head slowly towards the executives at a nearby table on the other side, and watched in horror as Levi inspected a package of flavored lubes.

Oh no…

Eren’s heart thundered in his chest.  No, no, no, this wasn’t happening, _couldn’t_ be happening.  Except that it was.  Levi was now holding both the butt plug and the card that had been tucked into the box, which meant he’d somehow ended up with Marco’s going away gift instead of the perfectly appropriate, wonderfully heartfelt, not at all embarrassing one intended for him.  If Levi found out Eren had given him that gift, he was going to fire him.  And kill him.  Fire him, then kill him.  Fucking hell.

“Is that a dick?” Hange asked, craning their neck to get a better look at the inside of the card.

Levi forced them back into their chair.  “It’s a drawing,” he said.

“Yeah, of a dick.  Look, they match!”  Hange waved the dildo in the air before poking Levi in the side with it.  “Someone’s going to have fun tonight.”

At the next table, several girls Eren recognized but didn’t know personally turned in their seats, the spectacle having finally caught their attention.  They giggled behind their hands as Mike grabbed the box and pulled out the bondage kit and vibrator while, beside him, Erwin found the cock rings.  Shoulders shaking with poorly-concealed laughter, the CEO sent one of the rings rolling into Levi’s lap and flicked the other so it spun on the table like a coin.

“I can’t believe you got toys.  All I got were bath soaps and lotions,” Hange whined.  “Who was your Secret Santa?”

Eren immediately ducked behind the miniature Christmas tree that served as the buffet table’s centerpiece.  The card.  Oh god, the _card_.  He squeezed his eyes shut in complete and utter mortification.  His name was in the god damn card.  Where was the nearest exit?  He needed to find a hole so he could crawl in it and fucking _die_.

“If I knew, it wouldn’t be a secret,” came Levi’s voice.  “Now…”

Steeling himself, Eren peeked around the edge of the centerpiece to see Levi shut the card and hold out his other hand expectantly.  One by one, the other executives returned the toys, and he dropped them into the box.  He looked so calm that, for a second, Eren wondered if maybe he hadn’t noticed his name at the bottom of the card.  His handwriting wasn’t the best, maybe Levi couldn’t make it out.

But then Levi’s eyes snapped to him, and all of Eren’s hope vanished in an instant.

He disappeared again behind the tree and listened to the dull scrape of a chair followed by Mike asking, “Where are you going?”

“Don’t tell me you’re so eager to use those that you can’t wait until the party’s over,” Hange said.

However, Eren knew better than to think Levi was leaving to try out the toys.  That gaze had been too intent, too sure.  He glanced around in a panic, trying to figure out some sort of escape route, only to realize there was no point.  Whatever he avoided tonight would only crop up at work, and he’d never been one to run away from his problems anyway.  Might as well face the music.

Eren mustered his courage.  Even still, his fingers clenched in the delicate tablecloth as he spied an approaching figure from the corner of his eye.  Fuck, it felt like he was about to hyperventilate.

“Jaeger.”

His heart skipped a beat.

This was it.  This was where he died.

_Goodbye, cruel world._

“Jaeger,” Levi repeated, more forcefully.

Sucking in a deep breath, Eren snatched up a half-empty bottle of Crown someone had left on the table and took a long swig straight from the bottle, wincing at the burn as he faced Levi.

The first thought that came to mind was that Levi didn’t seem nearly as upset as Eren imagined.  He wasn’t happy, by any means, but he certainly didn’t look like he was about to eviscerate Eren on the spot.

The second was that no one should be allowed to be that handsome.

Despite his churning stomach, Eren couldn’t help but drink in the sight, the way the dark suit clung to Levi’s broad shoulders, slimmed down to follow his lean waist, emphasized his pale complexion.  Levi lifted his chin, and a few wisps of hair fell across steely eyes that pinned Eren in place and made his lungs forget quite how to work.  It was almost as good as the time Levi had come back to the office fresh from an MMA workout, hair slicked back and sweaty, knuckles still wrapped in protective bandages.  _That_ had been a sight.

Levi cleared his throat, and Eren snapped to attention.  “Are you done?” Levi asked, one brow arching.

“Yeah, I…”  Heat bled from Eren’s cheeks down to his neck.  Of all the times to be caught ogling his boss.  One more nail in the coffin, he supposed.  “Yeah,” he finished lamely.

“Good.  You want to talk about this, then?”  Levi tapped the box wedged against his hip.

“Not really.  If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to pretend this never happened,” he said.  “So why don’t I just take that and—”

Levi turned, holding the box out of reach.  “Did I say I didn’t want it?”

“Umm…”

“You can’t take back a gift,” Levi said lightly.  There was a faint quirk at the corners of his mouth as he closed the distance, coming to stand beside Eren.  “That’s not nice.”

Swallowing thickly, Eren watched Levi slide a platter out of the way so he could set the box on the table.  He opened the flaps and peeked inside, then looked pointedly at Eren whose blush was now reaching critical levels.  He rolled the butt plug between his fingers, and for the first time ever, Eren wanted to be anywhere other than with Levi.  Suddenly, dropping dead of embarrassment didn’t seem so bad.  Anything to get away from this teasing.  How fitting that the musicians were in the middle of a rendition of _You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch._

When Eren didn’t respond, Levi sighed.  “Alright, out with it,” he said, dropping the plug.  “What’s wrong?  Where’s all this brazen shamelessness I've had to endure for the past three years?”

“Lying in a ditch somewhere with what’s left of my pride?” Eren offered with a nervous chuckle.  “I mean, everyone knows how I feel about you, but even I have limits.  Gifting my boss sex toys at a work party is probably a good place to draw the line.”

“Probably,” Levi agreed.

He shifted, bracing one hip against the table and crossing his arms, and it took every ounce of Eren’s willpower to hold his gaze instead of skimming over his body.

Christ, he looked good.

“Listen,” Eren began, raking a hand through his hair as he tried to stay focused.  “As humiliating as this is, I promise it’s just one big misunderstanding.”

He went on to explain the mix-up – the two different gifts, the similar size boxes, the same wrapping paper, the apparent lack of a tag on either one – while Levi patiently heard him out.  It was a nice change.  Usually, their interactions consisted of Eren flirting and Levi shooting him down.  Having an actual conversation for once was great.  Too bad the subject matter was somewhat less than.

“So these weren’t meant for me,” Levi said once he’d finished, to which Eren shook his head.  He hummed softly and fingered one of the flaps on the box.  “Shame.”

“What?” Eren squeaked.

Surely he didn’t…

He must have misheard…

But what if he…

“Never mind.”  Eren stopped before he could continue down that rabbit trail.  Sure, he’d always held out hope, but after this fiasco, his chances were probably slimmer than ever.  “The point is that I’m sorry.  Like, really fucking sorry.  I didn’t mean for this to happen.  I actually had the perfect gift for you, something extra special since it’s also your birthday, but then everything went to hell, and now neither of us is ever going to live this down.  And of course everyone had to see.  You probably hate me right now.  You should just fire me and be done with it.  Man, I’m so—”

“Did I ask for an apology?”

Taken aback, Eren’s mouth opened and closed for a moment as he attempted to process the unexpected question.  “Did… you… I’m sorry, what?”

“For the love of— Eren, stop saying you’re sorry.”  Levi snapped, then reached out to wrap a hand around Eren’s wrist.  “Now, again: did I ask for an apology?”

“Uh, no?”  Levi’s fingers tightened imperceptibly, and Eren repeated with more confidence, “No.”

“Did I say anything about firing you?”

“No.”

“Did I say that I hate you?”

“No.”

“Do I look even remotely pissed?”

“Well, kind of, but you look like that a lot, to be honest, I think it’s just your…”  Eren trailed off when Levi’s eyes narrowed.  “No.”

Seemingly satisfied, Levi relaxed.  He didn’t take back his hand, but he did loosen it, moved so he held Eren’s wrist gently between his fingers.  Eren watched Levi’s thumb circle one of the jutting bones for a moment, entranced, before glancing up to see his lips curl in a slow, easy smirk.  Was this really happening or had he finally lost it?  It sure felt real enough.

“So…” Eren breathed.

Levi edged closer, and the slight pressure on Eren’s wrist pulled him forward as well.  “So.”

Oh.  Right, okay, he wasn’t imagining things.  This was, indeed, for real, which meant he owed Armin a big _thank you_ instead of the _what the hell were you thinking not labeling the Marco’s gift?_ he’d had planned.

Eren let the back of his free hand brush Levi’s and smiled at the couple fingers that interlaced with his own.  “What now?”

 

* * *

 

Levi liked his apartment.

It was spacious without being overwhelmingly so, modestly priced, had a nice view, and was in the heart of an up-and-coming area of the city, or so the realtor had told him when he bought it.  He was the first owner, so there were no weird stains, smells, or prior issues to deal with.  Plus, it was within walking distance of the grocery store, the gym, and several of his favorite restaurants.

The only downside was his neighbor across the hall.

Mrs. Becker was old, which accounted for most of her quirks.  Everything else could be explained by the simple fact that she had too much time on her hands.  Her husband had passed away five and a half years ago, and since then, being nosy had become her purpose in life.

When she wasn’t peeking through the blinds at the occupants of the adjacent apartment building – Levi knew she did that because Mike moved a few months back, and he’d spotted her out the window – she was glued to the peephole of her front door, spying on whoever happened to be in the hallway.  Most of it was harmless, albeit annoying, observation.  However, every once in a while, if there was more noise than usual, she’d poke her head out to see for herself whatever was going on.

It was that risk of getting caught that had Levi working hurriedly at the deadbolt, an act that would've been far easier if he wasn't also making out with Eren against the door.

“Come on,” Eren urged the minute Levi pulled back to check where the keyhole was for the second time, leaning forward to graze his teeth along Levi’s jaw.  “How hard is it to—”

Levi silenced him with another kiss, grinning against his lips as he pressed their hips flush and heard the harsh intake of breath through teeth.  _I don’t know, Eren, how hard is it?_

The key finally went in, and they stumbled through the doorway only to trip on the rug and tumble to the floor in an ungainly mess of limbs.  The box went flying, sex toys scattering all around them.  Sprawled halfway across Eren’s chest, it took a second for Levi to get his bearings.  Once he did, he untangled their legs and slowly pushed up on his hand and knees, hovering over Eren who was already laughing beneath him.

“You okay?” Levi asked, pressing fingers to Eren’s head to search for any sign of injury.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Eren said.  His laughter tapered off, and he tilted his head into Levi’s touch.  “But you could probably make it better by—”  Long legs wrapped around Levi’s waist.

Levi obliged by grinding down against him, and Eren whined at the contact, hands flying to the front of Levi’s suit.  He started at the bottom, making his way up the line of shirt buttons so that, by the time he reached the top, Levi had finished loosening his tie and could shrug out of both the shirt and jacket.  Levi had just leaned forward to lick his way back into Eren’s mouth when he heard a subtle click.

“Mr. Ackerman?”

Levi’s head shot up.  Below him, Eren went deathly still.  His wide eyes met Levi’s, darted past him to the hallway, then back again.  _Neighbor_ , he mouthed.  But Levi already knew that, knew exactly who’d caught them rutting around on the floor like horny teenagers.

Biting back a sigh, he sat back on his heels and looked over his shoulder.  “Good evening, Mrs. Becker.  Everything alright?”

Mrs. Becker pushed the door wider.  “I was lying in bed when I heard a loud noise.  I thought someone might be trying to break in, so I came to check.  We’ve had trouble with burglars in the past.”

Lying in bed, his ass.  More like watching them go at it through the peephole, kinky old bat.

“No,” Levi said, “no burglars.  I just dropped my key after unlocking the door.  We were, uh, trying to find it.”

Eren snorted, and Levi pinched the inside of his thigh.  Across the hall, Mrs. Becker’s brows drew together above her thick glasses.  Not that he could blame her.  He was on the floor, surrounded by sex toys, half-dressed, with another man’s legs wrapped around his waist.  It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on.  But Levi wasn’t one to back down.

Reaching behind him, he found the key under his discarded clothes.  “Ah, here it is,” he said, holding it up for Mrs. Becker to see, ignoring the dildo that had been right beside it in plain view.  “Thank you for your help.  Have a good rest of the night, sorry for waking you.  Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

Levi shut the door before she could say anything else.

“Whew!” Eren said.  “Good thing we found your key.  I was worried about it.”

Without the light from the hallway, Levi couldn’t make out much, but he swatted in the general direction of Eren’s ass as he rolled him away.  “Shut up, and come on.”

Standing up, Levi flicked on the entryway light and pulled Eren to his feet.  Some night this was turning out to be.  Things were not going at all how he’d imagined.  _Smooth, Levi.  Real smooth._   Eren didn’t seem to mind, though.  His grin might have been a bit silly after getting caught, but there was no mistaking that fire in his eyes.  The heat was still there, and Levi could feel it curling deep down in his belly.

They left their shoes at the door, and Eren kept hold of his hand as Levi led the way through the living room, down the hall, into the bedroom, all the way to the bed where he sat down on the edge and pulled Eren forward to straddle his lap.

Levi pushed off Eren’s jacket but didn’t bother with unbuttoning the shirt, just drew it up and over Eren’s head before placing a line of kisses from the hollow of Eren’s throat down to one of his nipples.  He swirled his tongue around the nub for a moment, appreciating the way Eren’s hum vibrated in his chest.  The press of teeth was rewarded with a gasp, and Eren clutched at Levi’s hair.  When he did the same to the other nipple, Eren arched his back, the movement causing him to rock into Levi involuntarily.

“Fuck,” Levi bit out.

So responsive.  Just like he knew he would be.

Levi grasped Eren’s thighs, holding him steady while the younger man continued to rock against him.  Languid thrusts, nails scratching along his undercut, quick bite to his lower lip... it wasn’t long before the friction had Levi’s fingers digging in a little harder.  It felt good, but he needed more.  More skin, more of their cocks against one another, more of Eren’s body moving with his.  Just… more.

With only a growl as warning, Levi flipped them over and all but tackled Eren further onto the bed.  Eren propped himself up on his elbows and watched Levi undo his pants.  “If I knew a few toys was all it took for you to take me seriously, I would’ve given you some a long time ago,” he said with a cocky grin.

“Not the toys.”  Levi paused in the middle of pulling down Eren’s zipper.  “Not _just_ the toys,” he amended.

“What?”

When Levi curled his fingers around the waistband, Eren lifted his hips obediently.  “What do you mean _what_?”  The pants and boxers came off, and Eren’s cock sprung free, thick and hard and already leaking, to lay heavy against his stomach.  Despite their current situation, Eren looked genuinely confused.  “I’ve wanted to fuck you since you started,” Levi explained, running a hand slowly up one of Eren’s legs and cupping his balls.  “Wasn’t it obvious?”

“Umm… not really, no.  I mean, I always told Mikasa that you were playing hard to get, but I was joking."

Levi blinked.  He’d be the first to admit he wasn’t the most socially adept person, but he thought he’d been fairly straightforward over the years.  Even if the signs weren’t clear, Eren should’ve known he’d only put up with that kind of shit if he enjoyed it.  If he hadn’t liked him, Levi would’ve fired him a long time ago.

Similar thoughts must have been running through Eren’s mind.  That, or he’d finally noticed that he was fully naked and Levi was between his legs, mouth torturously close to his cock.  Either way, he visibly jerked and said, “You know what, it really doesn’t matter now.”

Levi nodded sharply.  “Smart boy.”  Then he gripped the base of Eren’s cock and brought it to his mouth, taking him in all the way without hesitation.

“Holy shit,” Eren panted, throwing his head back against the bed.

Levi held himself there, watching as Eren threw an arm over his face.  He tasted pre-come in the back of his throat, and when he swallowed, Eren let loose a long, harsh groan.  Oh yes, so wonderfully responsive.  He could get used to that.

Pulling back, Levi tongued the sensitive underside of the head, bobbed up and down a few times in shallow little teases, dipping his tongue into the slit.  Then he deep-throated Eren again, and this time, Eren couldn’t seem to decide what to do with himself.  His fingers went from pressing to the back of Levi’s head to being clenched between his teeth to fisting in the sheets.  When one heel came up onto the mattress, Levi used his free hand to press down on Eren’s hip, keeping him in place while he continued to work him over.

The noises Eren made were positively filthy, throaty moans and keening little whimpers that went straight to Levi’s dick.  He was painfully hard, aching with the need to touch himself, but he kept going.  It wasn’t until Eren’s thighs began to quiver that Levi finally popped off his cock with a wet smack.

“Christ,” Eren rasped, chest heaving.  “You’re… way too good at that.”

Eren’s cock was flushed a deep red.  Levi pressed his lips to it and smiled when it twitched against his mouth.  Backing off the end of the bed, he shucked the rest of his clothes, then gave himself a couple long, slow strokes, all the while holding Eren’s hooded gaze.

“I want you to fuck me now,” Eren said, stretching out across the bed so his entire body was on display.

Levi scanned him from head to toe.  There was something to be said for shameless youth.  Sprawled out like that, Eren looked like a god damn painting.  “Good, because I want to fuck you now.”  He didn’t think he could wait much longer.  He’d be hard-pressed to last very long as it was.

“No toys?” Eren asked as Levi pulled a condom and a packet of lube from the night stand.

“Next time.”  Levi smirked, crawling onto the bed.  “Spread out the fun.”

The implications weren’t lost on either of them, but thankfully Eren didn’t make a big deal out of it.  “I don’t know,” he played along with a dramatic pout.  “I’m starting to think you don’t like my gift.”

Levi settled between Eren’s legs, slicked up his fingers, leaned forward to brace himself on one hand.  “Then you’re not paying attention.”  And with that, he slid the first finger in deep.

Like everything else so far, Eren opened up beautifully.  It was a pity he kept his eyes closed, but the slight furrow of his brows, his open-mouth pants, and the string of obscenities he muttered under his breath made up for it.  The hand resting on Levi’s forearm squeezed compulsively, and Levi urged him to touch himself.  However, Eren only pumped himself for a few seconds before seeking out Levi’s dick instead, the contact making him hiss through his teeth and buck his hips forward.

“Please,” Eren moaned after Levi had worked up to three fingers.

Levi pulled back to inspect the mark he’d just left beneath Eren’s collarbone.  “Please what?”  He crooked his fingers into that sweet spot just to watch Eren writhe beneath him.

“That’s good, I’m good, I—”  The words broke off in a strangled gargle when Levi drug across his prostate again.  “ _Fuck_ , ah— Levi, please fuck me already.”

Levi withdrew to roll on the condom but let Eren do the honors of coating him in more lube.  He liked the weight of Eren’s hand on him, that little twist he did at the tip that made his breath catch.  Scooting forward, Levi pulled Eren’s legs onto his shoulders, lined himself up, and then he was pressing slowly into that tight heat.

“ _God_ , yes, _finally_ ,” Eren breathed.

And once he bottomed out and caught his breath, Levi had to agree.

He hadn’t been lying when he said next time.  With all his confidence, it was easy to forget Eren was nearly ten years his junior.  Levi had been forced to remind himself of that fact on more than one occasion over the years.  But something had changed earlier at the party.

It wasn’t seeing Eren’s awkward, nervous side for the first time or the toys, although they made for a great segue.  It wasn’t even some sudden, out-of-nowhere abandoning of morals or patience.  No, it was more gradual than that.  Less of an abrupt snap and more the slow tip of the scale.  He’d spent too long trying to convince himself things wouldn’t work – Eren was too young, they were at different stages in their life, he was Eren’s boss – that he was ready to actually give it a chance.  He liked Eren.  A lot.  Had ever since that first day he’d waltzed into Levi’s office and blurted out an admiring _whoa_.

“ _Levi_ ,” Eren whined.  “Please, I need you to—”

Levi rolled his hips.  The fingers that had been digging into his shoulders trailed down his back to cup his ass encouragingly.  He must not have moved soon enough, though, because he felt the muscles in Eren’s legs tense as he tried to fuck himself on Levi’s cock.

“Alright then,” Levi said before pressing a chaste kiss to the inside of Eren’s knee and starting up a steady rhythm.

There was no way he was going to last.  Eren felt amazing and looked even better, all sweat-slick skin and flushed cheeks, pupils blown wide, desperate, wanting.  They’d only just begun and already he could feel himself slipping, control sliding through his fingers like water.  Maybe he should've grabbed one of the cock rings.

Levi shifted a bit and angled his hips, searching, and when Eren yelped on the fourth thrust, he huffed a breathless laugh.  “There it is,” he whispered.

Eren scrabbled at Levi’s back, and his fingers dug in hard enough to bruise.  “Again,” he begged, eyes dark and hungry.

And Levi did.  He did everything asked of him.  He stroked Eren’s cock in time with his movements, told him how good he was, made him cry out over and over again, went harder, deeper, faster until Eren was unravelling in his arms, shuddering out an orgasm as hot come spilled between Levi’s fingers.

“ _Ffffuck_ ,” Levi ground out, trying to hold it together.

But even if he could make it past Eren tightening around him, the sight was too much.  Eren was come-splattered and blissed out, still riding the high of his orgasm.  He stared up at Levi with glazed eyes looking thoroughly fucked, and that was what sent Levi hurtling over the edge.

He thrust with abandon, welcoming the fiery rush of blood in his veins and the way his sight burned white-hot.  It was all so much, he couldn't stand it, couldn't— Levi gasped out some ragged, guttural version of Eren’s name one last time as he fell apart completely.  Heart racing and limbs shaky, he lowered his head, rested it against Eren's shoulder, and tried to catch his breath.

The world didn’t stop moving, but it did take a while for the pieces to fall back into place.

Great sex had a way of doing that.

Once they were cleaned off and had redressed in fresh pairs of boxers, Levi slid under the comforter.  Hange was going to have a field day when they found out.  Erwin would too, except he’d also probably want to kill him seeing how Levi was violating several company policies regarding ethics and workplace relationships.  Not that Levi cared.  One of the perks of being friends with the CEO.

He turned on his side to face Eren.  Their hands met halfway, fingers twisting together in the space between them, and Levi soaked in that easy smile.  God, Eren was so fucking gorgeous.  How had he managed so long without giving in?  Before he accidentally said something sappy and embarrassing, though, he blurted out, “What was my real present?”

“For the Secret Santa?” Eren asked, and Levi nodded.  “Oh, there were a couple little things, but the main present was two tickets to see _Les Misérables_.”

“You bought… Eren, that’s almost triple the price limit.  Why would you even get those?”

“Well, if you want to get technical, the little things were for the Secret Santa.  The tickets were for your birthday, though.  A personal gift from me.”

Levi stared him down, but Eren didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.  Again, he asked, “Why?”

“Because of your mom,” Eren said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  He edged closer, rubbing his thumb repeatedly over the back of Levi’s hand.  “I remember you saying that _Les Misérables_ was her favorite play.  I know she’s had a rough time with the cancer treatments, so I thought it would be nice if you took her to see it.  Tickets have been sold out for months, but a friend of a friend hooked me up.  They’re great seats.  You two should have a—”

Levi cut Eren off with a deep kiss, hand curling around the nape of his neck.  When he pulled away, Eren looked a little dazed.

“I take it you like the gift then,” he said with a dopey smile.  “Better than the sex toys?”

Levi snorted.  “Better than the sex toys.”  Although the toys could be classified as the gift that keeps on giving, so there was that.

“So what now?  Where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know,” Levi admitted.  It was a different situation than he was used to, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t make it work.  He _wanted_ it to work.  “We’ll figure it out.”  Levi brought Eren’s hand to his mouth and kissed each of his knuckles.  “Thank you.”

Eren’s smile softened.  “You’re welcome.”  He tucked his head beneath Levi’s chin, one arm draping over his waist to hold him tight.  “Happy birthday, Levi.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\-------- Coda:

Marco sat in the middle of his new apartment, surrounded by torn wrapping paper, gift bags, and all manner of going away presents from his friends and family.  He’d done as promised.  He’d waited until arriving in Rio de Janeiro to open them, but only just.  All his other suitcases still sat in the corner of the living room, waiting to be unpacked.

A playful scream sounded from outside, and he glanced at the beach below before returning to the pair of _Les Misérables_ tickets he held.

He flipped them over, then back again.  They looked legitimate enough, but how did Eren expect him to attend a showing in New York in a couple months?  He’d only just left.  And had he intended for them to go together?  Was this meant to be some ill-timed request for a date?  Everyone thought Eren was infatuated with his boss, but maybe they were wrong.

The handheld vacuum and pine-scented candle that had also been in the box were more traditional gifts.  Unnecessary considering a cleaning service was factored into his rent and he was allergic to strong fragrances, but expected.  The tickets, though…

Marco caught a whiff of pine and sneezed.  Eyes watering and nose running, he rolled the candle through the open patio door onto the balcony where it could stay until trash day, then eyed the other items.  He needed to thank Eren, but he also had to figure out how to let him down easy.  Eren was a nice guy, but Marco just didn’t feel that way about him.

“It’s for the best,” he reasoned, opening his laptop to draft an email.  “The distance will help ease the hurt.”

Poor guy, though.  No one wanted to be turned down on Christmas.

He just hoped someone would be there for Eren.  If only that Levi guy would give him a chance.


End file.
